For many of us, our parents made us floss our teeth every night after brushing and it was simply a normal part of our routine. As kids, because of our carefully enforced brushing routine, someone keeping an eye on our flossing habits, and regularly schedule dental visits, many of us enjoyed the healthiest dental hygiene of our lives. But a lot can change when one moves out from under the authority of parents; we’re on our own for food, money, and self-care, and one of the most important aspects of self-care is, of course, our dental hygiene.

If you have excellent dental habits, meaning, you brush twice per day, you floss every day, and you visit the dentist every six months, then we offer you congratulations! You are absolutely among the minority of Americans. According to a recent study conducted by the American Dental Association, one-third of Americans aren’t brushing enough, and two-thirds of Americans aren’t flossing enough.

Many of us have fallen off of the dental care wagon, and it’s likely that the biggest reason for this is either laziness or ignorance. Either people know the dangers of not taking care of their teeth and are not motivated enough to follow through, or people simply don’t know the dangers of their lack of oral hygiene. If you fall into the latter category, continue reading below because this blog is for you. In today’s blog, we’re going to discuss some of the most important reasons to floss daily.